Saturday, April 14, 2012

(Late afternoon light my newly transplanted vireya in the new side garden)

It’s amazing that spring is already here, how quickly the season changes, even here in Hawaii where we practically have two seasons, wet and dry.
Come and take a walk with me around my garden this morning, there’s a lot of beautiful blooms to greet us on our tour and I want to show you some more of the areas that I’m starting to work on and get your opinion.

These are the beds from the front door over looking the roadway and forest in Orchidland. The plants in this bed is tightly packed in with impatiens, geraniums, ti, dracaena, ferns, crotons, vireyas, fuschia and strobilanthes.

A detailed shot of corner portion of the front bed with various plantings.

On the other side of the front beds is this hibiscus ‘Yoda’. Something has been eating the leaves so I have quickly mixed up a water and hot pepper spray on the leaves along with the ti plants that have also been getting big holes in random spots. I’m sure our hot Hawaiian peppers will stop these predators from munching on more delicate leaves.

Below is a newly created bed in the front corner lined with these huge lava rocks I rolled into place since they were just to heavy to carry. A large six foot Medinilla Magnifica (left) is setting of some flower buds and will be blooming soon. In this bed are newly planted maroon colored ti, yellow ribbed croton, black magic taro, red dracaenas, fancy coleus and hot pink fuschias.

Here’s a detailed shot below.

Another front garden jewel, say hello to hibiscus ‘Starfish Pie’.

In a small front bed, one of my small tillandsia with its bright red plume sits next to some variegated shapes of crotons and miniature bromeliads.

The side garden re-do is starting to take shape, this variegated bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis, was planted a month ago and is starting to fit in nicely and the plants behind are growing and hopefully form a nice barrier to the next door neighbor.

Behind the bamboo is a beautiful vireya shrub that’s also taking to the new area and has started to bloom with these hot pink flowers with orange throats, I’m so glad things are finally taking shape in this area that was totally neglected and used for storage.

In the other shady side garden, its wild and filled with different ferns so I never know what will be coming up from this jungle. Here a pink vireya is greeting us this morning.

Beautiful ‘Mountain Air’ is greeting us again this morning, with its soft lavender blooms.

I have this beautiful green pot that’s been empty for the past year, I finally got around to creating an interesting combination to complement a new back yard bed below. Inside is a mixture of black mondo grass, red and variegated red/green dracaena, black ti, fuschia, strobilanthes and a large phormium.

Below are some hot pink and almost black hibiscus in the back yard, I’ve been doing a lot of work recently in the back yard and will post the progress of the area in a future post.

I enjoyed our walk this morning hoped you saw a different part of my world today that inspires, thanks for joining me.

Noel I know it's been ages since I've last been here and I got a treat when I scrolled down the page. Firstly that Vireya is looking stunning along with all the other hot tropical colours. Love the shapes and textures and vertical interest you've created with the bamboos.

Your plantings are just amazing - so many different textures and colors. Love all the variety! I could look at the pictures of your front gardens for hours - and still there would be more to see. Well done!

Although our seasons are opposite I think the climate is similar. Maybe you get more rain than us. Your garden is looking so lush and healthy. Your vireya are lovely. I recently bought a few and I'm hoping I can give them the right conditions so they will thrive and bloom like yours.

Noel - it looks as though you have been working hard and it is certainly paying off! I love all your different hibiscus. Those paper thin petals are so delicate. I also have to succumb to the pepper sprays every so often, and always throw a bit of garlic in as well.

Hi Noel, greetings from London, and from a different world when it comes to gardening! Some of your plants I haven't even heard of! It looks so beautiful and lush and pretty, I especially like your hibiscus, have tried to grow a hardy hibiscus myself, but it died during last drought in 2005-06. Perhaps I ought to buy a new one, they sure are gorgeous. Thanks for letting me have a walk in your garden, I enjoyed it :-)

Happy Bloomday, Noel. Your colors this month are extremely warm and saturated. The vireya is a personal fav this month, as well as being something I'm not familiar with and will be researching. Very nice.

Hi Noel, even if they are just newly planted, they look already okay there, and i love the colors of your hibiscus the most. Your photos are just so warm, or maybe WB not set to true colors. Happy singing!

Wasn't it you who posted recently about having let the garden go? Today was all gorgeousness! The front garden is so green and lush, the front bed shot also colorful. Congratulations on your work paying off.

Subscribe-its free...

Aloha

Living in East Hawaii on the Big Island, I am amazed by the multitude of new plant genera that I've started to discover and become addicted to. Come and explore with me in finding new amazing plants, discover the variegated and colorful, rare specimens, developing my garden, garden design, learning about sustainability and just doing the naughty things that a plant fanatic typically won't do in public :)

About Me

Writer, photographer, artist, food fanatic and wanderer,I love to visit and discover new places, exotic food and interesting people along my travels. Being able to explore new environments, cultures and trying something new is something I am passionate about, and sharing my photography and writing is a big part of the joy and creative process.
Come and follow me on twitter at @emorata
or facebook at Noel Morata

A Plant Fanatic Copyright Statement

All photos are original to Noel Morata at A Plant Fanatic and are copyrighted. Please do not take copy or download any photos without my express consent. All photos remain the sole property of Noel Morata.